1984 United States presidential election in Minnesota
The 1984 United States presidential election in Minnesota took place on November 6, 1984 as part of the 1984 United States presidential election.
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| Turnout | 70.94%[1]  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 County Results
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| Elections in Minnesota |
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Minnesota voted for the Democratic Party candidate, former Vice President Walter Mondale. He narrowly won his home state over incumbent President Ronald Reagan by just 3,761 votes, giving him his only state victory in the election (Mondale also carried the District of Columbia), resulting in the state weighing in at around 18 percentage points more Democratic than the nation at large. Minnesota was the only state not to back Reagan in either of his two presidential campaigns. Although Mondale won only twenty of the state's 87 counties – making Reagan the only presidential nominee to win a majority of counties in every state – his large majorities in the heavily unionized Iron Range of the northeast overbalanced Reagan's majorities in the more Republican west of the state.
Since the Republican Reagan won all 49 other states in 1984, this established Minnesota's status as the state with the longest streak of voting Democratic. As of the 2020 presidential election, it still has not voted for a Republican presidential candidate since Richard Nixon carried it when he was re-elected in 1972. However, the District of Columbia has voted Democratic in all presidential elections since 1964, when it was first granted the right to vote for president.
As of 2020, only five of the 20 counties Mondale won in 1984 were won by either Hillary Clinton in 2016 or Joe Biden in 2020. Some examples of counties that have been lost to the Republican Party include those after 1996 (Anoka County), after 2008 (Aitkin County), or after 2012 (Itasca County). Minnesota regenerated as a left-leaning force in the 1990s, late 2000s and early 2010s, but has been more competitive for the Republicans in the 21st century, ironically with many former Mondale counties.
When Reagan was asked in December 1984 what he wanted for Christmas he joked, "Well, Minnesota would have been nice".[2]
Results
| 1984 United States presidential election in Minnesota[3][4] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic | Walter Mondale | 1,036,364 | 49.72% | 10 | |
| Republican | Ronald Reagan (incumbent) | 1,032,603 | 49.54% | 0 | |
| Independent Democrat | Lyndon LaRouche | 3,865 | 0.19% | 0 | |
| Socialist Workers | Melvin Mason | 3,180 | 0.15% | 0 | |
| Libertarian | David Bergland | 2,996 | 0.14% | 0 | |
| America First | Bob Richards | 2,377 | 0.11% | 0 | |
| Citizens | Sonia Johnson | 1,219 | 0.06% | 0 | |
| Write-ins | Write-ins | 723 | 0.03% | 0 | |
| Communist | Gus Hall | 630 | 0.03% | 0 | |
| Workers League | Edward Winn | 260 | 0.01% | 0 | |
| New Alliance | Dennis Serrette | 232 | 0.01% | 0 | |
| Invalid or blank votes | — | ||||
| Totals | 2,084,449 | 100.00% | 10 | ||
| Voter turnout | 68% | — | |||
Results by county
| County | Walter Frederick Mondale Democratic |
Ronald Wilson Reagan Republican |
Various candidates Other parties |
Margin | Total votes cast | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Aitkin | 3,943 | 53.17% | 3,422 | 46.14% | 51 | 0.69% | 521 | 7.03% | 7,416 |
| Anoka | 50,305 | 51.63% | 46,578 | 47.80% | 557 | 0.57% | 3,727 | 3.82% | 97,440 |
| Becker | 5,456 | 41.65% | 7,553 | 57.65% | 92 | 0.70% | -2,097 | -16.01% | 13,101 |
| Beltrami | 7,481 | 49.88% | 7,414 | 49.43% | 103 | 0.69% | 67 | 0.45% | 14,998 |
| Benton | 4,922 | 41.42% | 6,830 | 57.48% | 131 | 1.10% | -1,908 | -16.06% | 11,883 |
| Big Stone | 1,994 | 51.83% | 1,821 | 47.34% | 32 | 0.83% | 173 | 4.50% | 3,847 |
| Blue Earth | 11,877 | 45.08% | 14,298 | 54.27% | 172 | 0.65% | -2,421 | -9.19% | 26,347 |
| Brown | 4,469 | 34.44% | 8,399 | 64.72% | 109 | 0.84% | -3,930 | -30.28% | 12,977 |
| Carlton | 9,189 | 64.70% | 4,877 | 34.34% | 137 | 0.96% | 4,312 | 30.36% | 14,203 |
| Carver | 6,725 | 35.75% | 11,963 | 63.60% | 121 | 0.64% | -5,238 | -27.85% | 18,809 |
| Cass | 4,773 | 41.61% | 6,619 | 57.71% | 78 | 0.68% | -1,846 | -16.09% | 11,470 |
| Chippewa | 3,047 | 43.01% | 3,964 | 55.95% | 74 | 1.04% | -917 | -12.94% | 7,085 |
| Chisago | 6,683 | 51.21% | 6,279 | 48.12% | 87 | 0.67% | 404 | 3.10% | 13,049 |
| Clay | 10,294 | 46.84% | 11,565 | 52.62% | 119 | 0.54% | -1,271 | -5.78% | 21,978 |
| Clearwater | 1,917 | 47.63% | 2,066 | 51.33% | 42 | 1.04% | -149 | -3.70% | 4,025 |
| Cook | 1,129 | 47.82% | 1,219 | 51.63% | 13 | 0.55% | -90 | -3.81% | 2,361 |
| Cottonwood | 3,073 | 41.61% | 4,275 | 57.89% | 37 | 0.50% | -1,202 | -16.28% | 7,385 |
| Crow Wing | 8,719 | 43.10% | 11,362 | 56.16% | 151 | 0.75% | -2,643 | -13.06% | 20,232 |
| Dakota | 49,125 | 46.83% | 55,119 | 52.54% | 667 | 0.64% | -5,994 | -5.71% | 104,911 |
| Dodge | 2,786 | 38.36% | 4,428 | 60.97% | 48 | 0.66% | -1,642 | -22.61% | 7,262 |
| Douglas | 5,444 | 37.43% | 9,005 | 61.92% | 94 | 0.65% | -3,561 | -24.49% | 14,543 |
| Faribault | 3,993 | 41.01% | 5,690 | 58.44% | 53 | 0.54% | -1,697 | -17.43% | 9,736 |
| Fillmore | 4,351 | 40.44% | 6,342 | 58.94% | 67 | 0.62% | -1,991 | -18.50% | 10,760 |
| Freeborn | 9,338 | 52.26% | 8,413 | 47.09% | 116 | 0.65% | 925 | 5.18% | 17,867 |
| Goodhue | 8,679 | 43.44% | 11,171 | 55.92% | 128 | 0.64% | -2,492 | -12.47% | 19,978 |
| Grant | 1,867 | 46.73% | 2,111 | 52.84% | 17 | 0.43% | -244 | -6.11% | 3,995 |
| Hennepin | 272,401 | 51.47% | 253,921 | 47.98% | 2,912 | 0.55% | 18,480 | 3.49% | 529,234 |
| Houston | 3,512 | 37.99% | 5,645 | 61.06% | 88 | 0.95% | -2,133 | -23.07% | 9,245 |
| Hubbard | 2,806 | 37.50% | 4,621 | 61.76% | 55 | 0.74% | -1,815 | -24.26% | 7,482 |
| Isanti | 5,378 | 48.38% | 5,660 | 50.91% | 79 | 0.71% | -282 | -2.54% | 11,117 |
| Itasca | 11,455 | 54.68% | 9,306 | 44.42% | 187 | 0.89% | 2,149 | 10.26% | 20,948 |
| Jackson | 3,437 | 51.89% | 3,131 | 47.27% | 55 | 0.83% | 306 | 4.62% | 6,623 |
| Kanabec | 2,660 | 46.47% | 3,027 | 52.88% | 37 | 0.65% | -367 | -6.41% | 5,724 |
| Kandiyohi | 8,402 | 46.41% | 9,539 | 52.69% | 163 | 0.90% | -1,137 | -6.28% | 18,104 |
| Kittson | 1,610 | 48.07% | 1,716 | 51.24% | 23 | 0.69% | -106 | -3.17% | 3,349 |
| Koochiching | 4,238 | 54.74% | 3,466 | 44.77% | 38 | 0.49% | 772 | 9.97% | 7,742 |
| Lac qui Parle | 2,685 | 48.84% | 2,731 | 49.68% | 81 | 1.47% | -46 | -0.84% | 5,497 |
| Lake | 4,468 | 68.43% | 2,003 | 30.68% | 58 | 0.89% | 2,465 | 37.75% | 6,529 |
| Lake of the Woods | 824 | 42.47% | 1,094 | 56.39% | 22 | 1.13% | -270 | -13.92% | 1,940 |
| Le Sueur | 5,070 | 45.47% | 6,033 | 54.10% | 48 | 0.43% | -963 | -8.64% | 11,151 |
| Lincoln | 1,827 | 48.04% | 1,905 | 50.09% | 71 | 1.87% | -78 | -2.05% | 3,803 |
| Lyon | 5,389 | 42.57% | 7,170 | 56.64% | 100 | 0.79% | -1,781 | -14.07% | 12,659 |
| Mahnomen | 1,241 | 47.79% | 1,328 | 51.14% | 28 | 1.08% | -87 | -3.35% | 2,597 |
| Marshall | 2,705 | 43.58% | 3,433 | 55.31% | 69 | 1.11% | -728 | -11.73% | 6,207 |
| Martin | 4,673 | 38.80% | 7,308 | 60.67% | 64 | 0.53% | -2,635 | -21.88% | 12,045 |
| McLeod | 4,864 | 35.43% | 8,728 | 63.58% | 135 | 0.98% | -3,864 | -28.15% | 13,727 |
| Meeker | 4,156 | 42.76% | 5,511 | 56.70% | 53 | 0.55% | -1,355 | -13.94% | 9,720 |
| Mille Lacs | 4,011 | 47.92% | 4,307 | 51.45% | 53 | 0.63% | -296 | -3.54% | 8,371 |
| Morrison | 6,225 | 44.85% | 7,556 | 54.44% | 99 | 0.71% | -1,331 | -9.59% | 13,880 |
| Mower | 12,498 | 60.53% | 8,054 | 39.01% | 95 | 0.46% | 4,444 | 21.52% | 20,647 |
| Murray | 2,741 | 49.17% | 2,780 | 49.87% | 54 | 0.97% | -39 | -0.70% | 5,575 |
| Nicollet | 5,789 | 43.37% | 7,472 | 55.97% | 88 | 0.66% | -1,683 | -12.61% | 13,349 |
| Nobles | 4,619 | 48.09% | 4,876 | 50.77% | 110 | 1.15% | -257 | -2.68% | 9,605 |
| Norman | 2,202 | 50.31% | 2,152 | 49.17% | 23 | 0.53% | 50 | 1.14% | 4,377 |
| Olmsted | 16,335 | 36.44% | 28,129 | 62.76% | 359 | 0.80% | -11,794 | -26.31% | 44,823 |
| Otter Tail | 9,714 | 38.02% | 15,664 | 61.30% | 173 | 0.68% | -5,950 | -23.29% | 25,551 |
| Pennington | 2,913 | 44.89% | 3,536 | 54.49% | 40 | 0.62% | -623 | -9.60% | 6,489 |
| Pine | 5,223 | 53.41% | 4,493 | 45.95% | 63 | 0.64% | 730 | 7.46% | 9,779 |
| Pipestone | 2,391 | 43.46% | 3,043 | 55.32% | 67 | 1.22% | -652 | -11.85% | 5,501 |
| Polk | 7,033 | 44.56% | 8,617 | 54.60% | 132 | 0.84% | -1,584 | -10.04% | 15,782 |
| Pope | 2,757 | 47.03% | 3,064 | 52.27% | 41 | 0.70% | -307 | -5.24% | 5,862 |
| Ramsey | 141,623 | 59.15% | 95,667 | 39.95% | 2,153 | 0.90% | 45,956 | 19.19% | 239,443 |
| Red Lake | 1,294 | 51.91% | 1,184 | 47.49% | 15 | 0.60% | 110 | 4.41% | 2,493 |
| Redwood | 2,957 | 32.64% | 6,020 | 66.45% | 82 | 0.91% | -3,063 | -33.81% | 9,059 |
| Renville | 3,972 | 41.25% | 5,571 | 57.86% | 86 | 0.89% | -1,599 | -16.61% | 9,629 |
| Rice | 10,880 | 50.55% | 10,456 | 48.58% | 189 | 0.88% | 424 | 1.97% | 21,525 |
| Rock | 2,188 | 42.11% | 2,971 | 57.18% | 37 | 0.71% | -783 | -15.07% | 5,196 |
| Roseau | 2,319 | 39.91% | 3,445 | 59.28% | 47 | 0.81% | -1,126 | -19.38% | 5,811 |
| Saint Louis | 77,683 | 68.83% | 34,162 | 30.27% | 1,013 | 0.90% | 43,521 | 38.56% | 112,858 |
| Scott | 9,452 | 42.71% | 12,573 | 56.81% | 108 | 0.49% | -3,121 | -14.10% | 22,133 |
| Sherburne | 6,140 | 43.98% | 7,738 | 55.43% | 82 | 0.59% | -1,598 | -11.45% | 13,960 |
| Sibley | 2,761 | 36.97% | 4,638 | 62.10% | 69 | 0.92% | -1,877 | -25.13% | 7,468 |
| Stearns | 20,944 | 40.55% | 30,216 | 58.51% | 485 | 0.94% | -9,272 | -17.95% | 51,645 |
| Steele | 5,060 | 36.38% | 8,780 | 63.12% | 70 | 0.50% | -3,720 | -26.74% | 13,910 |
| Stevens | 2,451 | 42.66% | 3,251 | 56.58% | 44 | 0.77% | -800 | -13.92% | 5,746 |
| Swift | 3,531 | 54.42% | 2,893 | 44.59% | 64 | 0.99% | 638 | 9.83% | 6,488 |
| Todd | 4,657 | 41.19% | 6,585 | 58.25% | 63 | 0.56% | -1,928 | -17.05% | 11,305 |
| Traverse | 1,325 | 48.30% | 1,399 | 51.00% | 19 | 0.69% | -74 | -2.70% | 2,743 |
| Wabasha | 3,872 | 41.87% | 5,299 | 57.31% | 76 | 0.82% | -1,427 | -15.43% | 9,247 |
| Wadena | 2,454 | 36.13% | 4,306 | 63.40% | 32 | 0.47% | -1,852 | -27.27% | 6,792 |
| Waseca | 3,527 | 38.80% | 5,509 | 60.60% | 55 | 0.60% | -1,982 | -21.80% | 9,091 |
| Washington | 28,527 | 49.23% | 29,046 | 50.13% | 369 | 0.64% | -519 | -0.90% | 57,942 |
| Watonwan | 2,425 | 40.57% | 3,526 | 58.98% | 27 | 0.45% | -1,101 | -18.42% | 5,978 |
| Wilkin | 1,410 | 37.14% | 2,367 | 62.36% | 19 | 0.50% | -957 | -25.21% | 3,796 |
| Winona | 9,577 | 43.99% | 11,981 | 55.03% | 212 | 0.97% | -2,404 | -11.04% | 21,770 |
| Wright | 12,486 | 44.45% | 15,399 | 54.82% | 205 | 0.73% | -2,913 | -10.37% | 28,090 |
| Yellow Medicine | 3,018 | 43.64% | 3,819 | 55.22% | 79 | 1.14% | -801 | -11.58% | 6,916 |
| Totals | 1,036,364 | 49.74% | 1,032,603 | 49.56% | 14,759 | 0.71% | 3,761 | 0.18% | 2,083,726 |
See also
- 1972 United States presidential election in Massachusetts, the only state to vote Democratic in 1972, like Minnesota was in 1984.
References
- "Office of the State Of Minnesota Secretary of State". www.sos.state.mn.us. Retrieved 2017-07-22.
- "Minnesota heads Reagan's wish list". The Tuscaloosa News. Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Associated Press. December 4, 1984. p. 27. Retrieved July 18, 2012.
- "1984 Presidential Election Results – Minnesota". Dave Leip's U.S. Election Atlas. Retrieved 2009-01-28.
- Minnesota Secretary of State, "Voter Participation and Vote for President and Vice President, ... November 6, 1984 General Election," The Minnesota Legislative Manual 1985-1986 (St. Paul, 1985)
